Spoonbill feeding time

 Spoonbill experience walk number 10 and I took my camera today, We were able to see the young birds in one nest reasonably well as they are growing quickly. Will they still be in the nest for my last 2 walks next weekend?

Feeding three young must take a lot of effort. I wonder if the adults have been to RSPB Blacktoft Sands searching for food.

Before the walk I spent an hour in the Pickup Hide. Lots of activity from young birds.

Blacktoft Sands tomorrow.

Cattle egret at North Duffield Carrs

 Harvest time and the farmer is busy collecting all the bales of hay. Just a young coot and 2 female mallards on the scrape.

2 red kites were gliding over the area looking for any prey caught up in the harvesting. One kite spotted something on the ground.

 across the river cattle were grazing and a cattle egret was busily feeding on the insects they disturbed.

Some of the cattle did not like the bird and chased it away.

Another spoonbill experience walk tomorrow.

Turtle Dove

 My first visit to Sutton Bank Visitor Centre tonight. I arrived at 1740 and as soon as I got out of my car, I could feel a difference in temperature. When I returned to put my parking ticket in the car I looked at the dashboard display, it read 15 degrees.

I sat at one of the picnic tables, so that I could see both sets of feeders. Shortly after I arrived a couple of birders joined me. They had been there for an hour and had not seen or heard any turtle doves. Another 2 birders joined us and we waited and watched both sets of feeders. After a while the others went back to their cars for some clothes! We continued to watch and wait.

A great spotted woodpecker turned up.

Then this dove arrived

a collared dove.

About 7pm the others left and wished me luck. I continued to sit and look. 7.30pm and my parking ticket expired at 7.40. So I slowly walked back to the car, when I saw a movement on the floor beneath the feeders. A turtle dove.

RSPB Fairburn Ings

 My 8th spoonbill experience walk today. An adult arrived with food which enabled us to see the young begging for food. We also saw a recently fledged bird following its parent as they waded through the water, whenever the adult caught something the young would start asking for food.

Before and after the walk I spent some time at the Pickup hide, near the visitor centre.

The jays did not come very close today.

Walk number 9 on Tuesday

A hot day at Blacktoft Sands.

 

I arrived just before 8am and walked to Marshland Hide, the above photo was my view.

Spoonbill

Is it one of the birds with a nest at Fairburn?

Green sandpiper

snipe

Others waders feeding on the scrape were Ruff. Spotted redshank, Redshank, Lapwing, Greenshank, Black-tailed godwit and Little ringed plover. I then joined Pete in Reedling hide. Marsh harriers were having a squable

Pete pointed out a young bittern in the opposite reed bed. it was just showing its head.

Reed warblers were singing from deep in the reedbed, while this Chiffchaff sat on top of a bush to sing.

Tree sparrows were also active.

Butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies were also on the wing, but they did not settle for long in the gentle breeze.

A couple of hours into my shift I noticed a female Bittern feeding a young on at the edge of Reedling lagoon. Not a brilliant photo due to the vegetation in the foreground.

Is it the same bird I saw earlier, or is it another young bird from the same nest?

Back to Spoonbills at Fairbirn tomorrow.

Spoonbills again!

 2 more Spoonbill Expereince walks since my last post. Some nests still have young in, while other "teaspoons" are out of the next and pestering their parents for food. A young Cattle egret was also on view today,

More spoonbills!

 Another spoonbill experience walk today. Due to accidents on various roads and roadworks in Fairburn Village getting to Fairburn and home again was a bit difficult.

Lots of spoonbill activity at the nest site plus 4 littel egrets were having a squabble.

We were able to see the breeding plumage variation on the birds. A brief visit to the Pickup hide was rewarded with these views.

Hopefuly the traffic will not be a problem tomorrow.